For the latest news from the Koshland Science Museum, subscribe to our newsletter and connect with us on Facebook or Twitter to discover new insights and become part of a community of science enthusiasts.

The greenhouse effect is a natural warming process. Carbon dioxide and certain other gases are always present in the atmosphere. These gases create a warming effect that has some similarity to the warming inside a greenhouse, hence the name "greenhouse effect."

Increasing the amount of greenhouse gases intensifies the greenhouse effect. Higher concentrations of these gases trap more infrared energy in the atmosphere than occurs naturally. The additional heat further warms the atmosphere and Earth's surface.